


Pretending (Katniss x Peeta request)

by Phanatthedisco



Series: Multifandom requests [2]
Category: The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 16:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15844854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phanatthedisco/pseuds/Phanatthedisco
Summary: Sorry for taking long to uplaod, but I was on holidays and didn't have connection for quite a while. But it's now finished, so hope you like it!





	Pretending (Katniss x Peeta request)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phillipisabean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phillipisabean/gifts).



> Sorry for taking long to uplaod, but I was on holidays and didn't have connection for quite a while. But it's now finished, so hope you like it!

**PRETENDING**

 

After a lifetime of running away from the Capitol's control, she could not believe she was now forced to live in their luxury and lies. She had hoped there was a chance to stay in her old home, but of course there was never a choice with them. She held her breath as she walked through the dozen of houses that formed the Victor's Village. The attempt to reproduce the extravagance and idleness of the Capitol in District 12 had been eaten away by weeds and the buildings covered in layers of dust. A single house remained with the lights on but it was just as unkempt as the rest. Everything gave off an eerie magnificence, and the impressive cold stone clashed with the arid soil and lifeless flowers.

They approached the first house to their right and unlocked the door. It opened with a creak, and the floorboards grated with every step after many years left unused. It was a two floors residence with enormous rooms. Only the lounge must've been twice the size as their old one, and there were nearly a dozen other rooms, half of which they had no clue what use they could give them. Both her sister and her mother were delighted, dashing around the house and marvelling at every detail. But she remained hesitant. It looked nothing like the building where they had stayed before the games, but there was something that gave off the exact same feeling that they were being watched. The only thing that eased her was that she could get back to her normal life. Or at least as normal as things could get. The procedures after to games to take them back home had been incredibly uncomfortable, given the way they had won. In conclusion, they had been told they would only be required once a year for some of the television programs leading up to de Games, where they got in contact with the old victors and show the people the luxuries of their new lives.

 

Roughly five minutes after they had finished setting up all their belongings there were some shuffling noises outside. The new neighbours had just arrived and they were staying in the house opposite to theirs. Katniss stared through her new bedroom's windows as Peeta carried a couple of boxes in his arms with barely any effort. She instinctively dashed out of sight the moment Peeta turned and look at her place. After the whole scene with the berries she had been trying her best to avoid him. There was no doubt the Capitol wanted to turn their instinct for survival into an act of desperate love, and she didn't want to give them any more reasons to believe in that. She had not explained her motives to Peeta, who had definitely seemed fond to maintain their friendship, and it was obvious he was downhearted by her sudden hostility.

But she preferred to have it this way. Give the boy some reason to hate her, because if not it would be too painful to pretend as if he didn't exist.

 

The first weeks went by in a blur, days of monotony following one another. Peeta's attempts to talk to her had become more scarce, and now he barely glimpsed at her window hoping she might look back at him. What was once a comforting silence soon became unsettling in the eyes of Katniss. The Capitol had seemed overly interested in them, now suddenly it was as if they didn't exist and Katniss didn't know what this could mean. As much as she liked being far from their reach, every day she waited for some kind of sign, anything, that could prove to her paranoias there really were cameras watching her every move.

And her prayers were answered. A cold Tuesday morning she was heading to the kitchen when out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed a red light. It was coming from one of the unused rooms, some kind of office with vast windows and a mahogany desk right in the centre. The light was coming from a metal object no bigger than a button, right next to a vase full of freshly cut white roses. Now that she thought of it, she couldn't recall having seen roses in that room before. She walked into the room and closed the door behind her. With trembling hands she touched the button, which beeped and opened in two, projecting a holographic screen. Without command a video began playing and she had to suppress a gasp when she saw the face that appeared on the screen: president Snow.

"Hello Katniss Everdeen." He began speaking with a metallic voice. "I believe you have gotten this message quite early. It has been a while since you and I talked. It's a good thing to keep in contact with your friends so I figured today was as good day as any to do that. And talking of friends, I realised you have been avoiding your fellow winner and neighbour Peeta Mellark. Now, this is no good. I believe back in District 12 you are not aware of this, but here in the Capitol everyone is very fond of you two. It would be a shame to disappoint so many people, don't you think? After many years of being president I have learned one thing that is incredibly important, and that is to maintain your people's happiness. And now as someone so well known, a winner of the Games, your actions have a big impact on the population. I am sure that, just as I, you only want it to be positive.

We will talk again soon."

With those words the screen disappeared, leaving a shaken Katniss. He knew. For some reason it came as a strong blow to her, even when all this time she had suspected he had never quite left her. But now that it was proven the feeling of self awareness had increased. She walked back to the kitchen but she couldn't look at her mother and sister like she used to. Every movement, every action, every word, he knew about it. She was glad that at least he couldn't get inside her brain. Or could he?

And that message. He had been extremely polite but there was an obvious threat in his words. If she didn't talk to Peeta, if she wasn't close to him, there would be consequences. He hadn't said to whom, or when or how, but she was sure they would be terrible. If being with Peeta was all it would take to keep her family safe then she would do it.

 

Holding the woolen scarf closer to her face, Katniss crossed the distance separating her house from Peeta's. She watched the door doubtfully, she couldn't bring herself to knock on the door. After all this time, how was Peeta going to react? She was sure he hated her now. He only wanted to be friends and all she did was be rude and disrespectful. She shook her head, realising how terrible this idea was and was about to turn around and leave when right in that moment the door opened.

"Katniss! I saw you coming, I... I never thought you would after this long." Peeta seemed almost relieved to think that after all she was back. "Come in, it's cold outside."

His house was incredibly warm, and there was a mixed scent of freshly baked bread and cinnamon, transforming the place into a more cozy environment. He guided her to the lounge, identical to hers in shape but completely different. There was a small fire burning at the far end and they had pictures above the chimney. The table was full of baskets with sweets and baked goods, making her mouth water in an instant.

"You want one?" Offered Peeta, seeing how the girl was eying the food. She simply nodded, and looking at the wide variety she chose a gingerbread cookie sprinkled with icing sugar. She'd had some of the best food during her stay in the Capitol, but nothing she could remember was better than this.

"It's delicious." She mumbled between bites.

Peeta smiled warmly. "Glad you like it, I made these." He cleared his throat and his tone shifted to a more serious one. "So, I just wanted to let you know that I understand that things have been difficult and that you wanted to take your time. But I'm glad you're back, I was afraid of losing a good friend."

Katniss felt a pang of guilt. She couldn't believe she was doing this to him, abusing of his hospitality while it was all a lie to keep Snow happy. She gulped and faked a smile, wondering for how long she would have to keep pretending, for how long she would pretend she was happy beside him until he discovered the truth.


End file.
